養う

やしなう · yashinau · JLPT N1 · verb-godan

to maintain

🐑🌾 養 = sheep 羊 over food 食: feeding livestock = rearing, maintaining them

やしなう means to nurture what you feed: raise children, keep a family, or cultivate a skill. The root idea is sustained feeding that helps something grow.

More Japanese words · How Japanese works